Local 7-Eleven robbed by gunmen

Three people were arrested in connection with a series of armed robberies in Sterling and Herndon.

The first robbery took place at the 7-Eleven at 21944 Cascades Parkway in Sterling. The suspects entered the store with guns, assaulted the clerk and then took money from both the cash register and the clerk.

The clerk was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries.

According to a release from the Herndon Police Department, at approximately 4:30 a.m. on July 24, the three men attempted to rob a McDonald's restaurant on 1071 Elden St. via the drive-thru. Fifteen minutes later, suspects' car was spotted by responding officers on the 1000 block of Elden Street. When officers tried to stop the car, the suspects fled in the car to the 2300 block of Dulles Station Blvd. in Reston. The men got out of the car and ran into the woods, but were caught with help from a Fairfax County Police helicopter and canine unit.

The Herndon Police Department also reported that in between the first robbery and the pursuit, the suspects tried to rob another McDonald's, located at 330 Elden St, entering the restaurant with guns and demanding money from the clerk. A customer's cell phone was taken during the incident, but no one was injured.

Additionally, the 1998 Jeep Cherokee that was used in the commission of the robberies was determined to be stolen from Nations Street in South Riding.

The suspects were identified as Samuel Tyler Johnson, 19, of Chantilly; Jonathan Andrew Jones, 19, of Aldie; and Darius Trenny Foster, 18, also of Aldie. The three have each been charged by Fairfax with two counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, one count of abduction, one count of wearing a mask and three counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

In Loudoun, they face charges of auto theft, malicious wounding, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and robbery.

All three suspects are currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Charges are pending in Loudoun County.

Here we go. Richest County. Lowest paid department. Yet these brave souls continue to risk their lives over and over for pennies. ..

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